Information From BP2MI: 252 Indonesian Citizens Detained In Sabah During 2021 Due To The COVID-19 Pandemic

Documentation - The Indonesian Consulate in Tawau facilitated the repatriation of Indonesian citizens who were stranded in the Sabah region, Malaysia (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection Agency (BP2MI) Nunukan, North Kalimantan, released a total of 252 Indonesian citizens who visited Sabah, Malaysia, were unable to return due to the implementation of a lockdown in the country throughout 2021.

As reported by Antara, Wednesday, December 22, Head of UPT BP2MI Nunukan, Grand Commissioner of Police, F Jaya Ginting in Nunukan, Wednesday, explained that quite a number of Indonesian citizens who visited Sabah before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 were finally unable to return home at the appointed time due to the lockdown.

After opening the data collection and registration at the Indonesian Consulate in Tawau and the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Kota Kinabalu, they were finally able to be sent home specifically.

Of the 252 Indonesian citizens who were detained, most were residents of the Nunukan Regency who visited their families in the country before the COVID-19 pandemic. Respectively 185 males and 67 females.

According to BP2MI Nunukan records, the repatriation of detained Indonesian citizens will last for four months throughout 2021, namely 72 people in January, March (50), April (82), and July (42).

Then BP2MI Nunukan also noted that 410 students were children of Indonesian migrant workers who continued their education in Indonesia and were repatriated throughout 2021. Each in January amounted to 168 people and April as many as 242 people.

This student was also detained and could not return to Indonesia during the school holidays and returned to his parents who were still working in Sabah in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic took place.